DUE WEST, S.C. — Senior forward
Kelsey Hutchins scored 30 points leading the University of North Georgia women's basketball team to a 73-46 season-opening victory over North Greenville Friday evening in the Peach Belt/Conference Carolinas Challenge. It is the 10th consecutive season opening win for head coach
Buffie Burson's program.
After North Greenville took an early lead, the two teams went back and forth until UNG went on a 9-0 run late in the second quarter to carry a 31-23 lead into the half. The Nighthawks had a nine point advantage in the third quarter and edged out North Greenville by 10 points in the fourth to close out the impressive season-opening performance, 73-46.
Hutchins was the only Nighthawk in double digits on the night with her incredible 30 point performance in just 24 minutes of play. The next highest scorer was freshman
Alli Jones with seven. Hutchins lead UNG off the glass as well with eight rebounds on the night.
NOTES
- North Greenville's Karen Donehue and Cameron Carter were the only Crusaders to reach double figures in scoring with 17 and 11 respectively.
- Hutchins connected on 11-of-19 shots from the floor and made all eight of her free throws to reach double figures in scoring for the 28th consecutive game.
- Twelve different Nighthawks pulled down at least one rebound as the Nighthawks held a decisive 47-33 edge on the glass.
- The Nighthawks managed to shoot a collective 45% (27-60) from the floor despite a dismal 1-of-14 from behind the 3-point line.
- The season-opening win marked the 10th consecutive time that North Georgia has opened the season with a victory. The last time a
Buffie Burson led team came up on on the short end of a season opener was during the 2006-07 season when the then-Saints fell to North Dakota, 77-68.
NEXT
North Georgia will wrap up the PBC/CC Challenge tomorrow facing host, Erskine tomorrow, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. Erskine held off fellow Peach Belt Conference foe Francis Marion in the classic's nightcap on Friday.
